Chapter Events

CHAPTER MEETINGS

Eight months per year, a special speaker or program is planned in keeping with the CNPS-SLO mission. Chapter meetings are generally held the first Thursday of the month at the San Luis Obispo Vets Hall on Grande Ave near the corner of Monterey Street. We do not schedule a meeting in July, August, September, and January. Come at 7:00 to socialize, enjoy refreshments, and browse the book table. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. with some brief announcements before the program begins.

CHAPTER MEETING

March 7, 2019, Thursday, 7 pm

Atascadero Kiwanis Hall

Mixer and Browse Sales Table 7 pm, Program 7:30 pm

The native cacti of California are wonderful, but they are new-comers …

Cacti originated in South America and evolved there for millions of years before any cactus was able to migrate to North America. In South America, there are still cacti that are ordinary leafy trees, cacti adapted to jungles, others that are at home next to snow banks high in the Andes. Argentina has giant columnar cacti that look like California’s saguaros, and nearby grow dwarf cacti that are smaller than your little finger when mature and flowering. Many cacti have spines that are modified into glands that secrete nectar: the cacti have a bargain with ants, trading a bit of sugar water for protection against mites.

James Mauseth is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, and a world-famous plant anatomist and cactus expert. An award-winning teacher, he has been invited to teach Plant Anatomy at Cal Poly this quarter. Jim’s specialty is plant anatomy, studying the cells and tissues of cacti and comparing them to the equivalent parts of plants that have more ordinary structures typical of non-succulent plants. He has traveled extensively in South America, and is a Fellow of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. He will present a talk entitled The Evolution and Diversity of Cacti.

FIELD TRIPS

We have a very active chapter membership who love to get together to explore old special spots and discover new favorites. Generally, everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend! Many of our field trips are loosely organized – just show up at the noted time and location. There are a few field trips, however, that are by reservation only so please read each description carefully. All upcoming Field Trips are shown on our calendar.

If you would like to share a photograph or two from a field trip you’ve attended with CNPS-SLO, please use this form

SOD BLITZ

Sudden Oak Death (SOD), a serious exotic disease, is threatening the survival of tanoak and several oak species in California. As of 2013, SOD is found in 14 coastal California counties, from Monterey to Humboldt.

Researchers have discovered that Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen that causes SOD, spreads most often on infected California bay laurel leaves. Some management options are available, but they are effective only if implemented before oaks and tanoaks are infected; hence, timely detection of the disease on bay laurel leaves is essential for a successful proactive attempt to slow down the SOD epidemic.

CNPS-SLO Annual SOD Blitz

The SOD Blitz informs and educates the community about the disease and its effects, gets locals involved in detecting the disease, and produces detailed local maps of disease distribution. The map can then be used to identify those areas where the infestation may be mild enough to justify proactive management.

A community meeting/training session held on a Friday evening in May, followed by collection of leaf samples by volunteers on Saturday and Sunday.

Samples and accompanying forms are then turned in at a central location Saturday and Sunday afternoon/evenings.

We provide a list of recommended areas for sampling at the meeting and divide into groups.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

We participate in fairs, markets, and shows in the county that have an ecological, environmental or plant focus, including the Cambria Wildflower Show, events at the Botannical Garden, and the collaborative Morro Coast Audubon Society and CNPS picnic at Santa Margarita Lake to name a few. And we occasionally have a booth at the SLO Farmer’s Market thursday nights — look for us there! All upcoming Community Events are shown on our calendar.

HOOVER HERBARIUM VOLUNTEER SESSIONS

Please join Jenn Yost and Dave Keil on Mondays from 1 – 3 pm and Fridays from 9 – 11 am. Come and adopt your favorite group of plants while working on a vouchered collection for The Flora of SLO County. We will be processing new collections, mounting, annotating, and accessioning plant collections from around San Luis Obispo County. No experience is necessary. You will receive full instructions. By helping out, you will be preserving collections for future scientiﬁc research and learning about our ﬂora and new names in the process. Questions and RSVP to Jenn at jyost@calpoly.edu. Thanks all, Jenn

PLANT SALE FUNDRAISER

Fall is the best time to plant natives, and we hold our annual plant sale fundraiser the first Saturday in November. Plants are grown by members and special purchases are made to resell, and there are plenty of native plant experts on hand to offer advice and information about planting natives in your garden. If you would like to volunteer to work at our plant sale, please fill out this form.

ANNUAL BANQUET

Our annual Potluck Banquet is held the third Saturday in January with social hour beginning at 5:30 pm and a keynote speaker presenting a don’t-miss program following dinner.

We provide refreshments and table settings and we ask that you bring your own eating utensils (although plastic utensils are available).

Tickets at $10 per person are available for purchase on our website or if you prefer, you may send payment to D. Krause, 2706 Newton Drive, Cambria, CA, 93428.

Questions? Contact David Krause at dkincmbria@aol.com or 805-927-5182 for information about our next banquet.

Saturday, March 2, 2019, 10:00 am

Please RSVP by Sunday night, Feb. 24 (see below)

CNPS-SLO is going to SBBG! The Garden’s mission is to conserve native plants and habitats with an emphasis on vegetation communities of the Central Coast and the offshore islands. All plants used in the Garden are California natives.

Activities during the day will include:

Departure – leave San Luis Obispo at 8:30 am. For carpools, meet at Santa Rosa Park (Santa Rosa St. at Oak St.) at 8:20 am. Or, drive yourself directly to the Garden, located at: 1212 Mission Canyon Rd., Santa Barbara. Transportation is by private vehicles, as transport using a rented van was judged to be too expensive. All participants should meet in the SBBG parking lot by 10:00 am.

Are you interested in going? Please RSVP by sending an e-mail to Bill Waycott (bill.waycott@gmail.com) by Sunday night, Feb. 24 so we can get an idea of how many people to expect. Please indicate if you want to carpool. Thanks!

Workshop Questionnaire For members who have not had a chance to complete the workshop questionnaire, please use the link below. We are eager to know your thoughts and ideas regarding a series of CNPS workshops to be coordinated by our chapter. Thank you for your participation. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/32CL6LQ

CHAPTER MEETING

March 7, 2019, Thursday, 7 pm

Atascadero Kiwanis Hall

Mixer and Browse Sales Table 7 pm, Program 7:30 pm

The native cacti of California are wonderful, but they are new-comers …

Cacti originated in South America and evolved there for millions of years before any cactus was able to migrate to North America. In South America, there are still cacti that are ordinary leafy trees, cacti adapted to jungles, others that are at home next to snow banks high in the Andes. Argentina has giant columnar cacti that look like California’s saguaros, and nearby grow dwarf cacti that are smaller than your little finger when mature and flowering. Many cacti have spines that are modified into glands that secrete nectar: the cacti have a bargain with ants, trading a bit of sugar water for protection against mites.

James Mauseth is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, and a world-famous plant anatomist and cactus expert. An award-winning teacher, he has been invited to teach Plant Anatomy at Cal Poly this quarter. Jim’s specialty is plant anatomy, studying the cells and tissues of cacti and comparing them to the equivalent parts of plants that have more ordinary structures typical of non-succulent plants. He has traveled extensively in South America, and is a Fellow of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. He will present a talk entitled The Evolution and Diversity of Cacti.

Coreopsis Hill (in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes)

This hike is sponsored by the San Luis Obispo Chapter of CNPS, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Dunes Center, and will be led by Jenny Langford, Lauren Brown, Dirk Walters, and other local botanists and volunteers.

The hike will begin at 9:00 AM (please plan to arrive between 8:45 and 9:00), leaving from the south end of Beigle Road at the USFWS access road (fenced road). It will be a casual walk through the dunes to the top of Coreopsis Hill. This is a moderate hike, about 3 hours round-trip. Dress in layers, bring water and snacks, and have your “Dune Mother’s Wildflower Guide” by Dr. Malcolm McLeod for the trip. Long pants and closed shoes are recommended as the habitat is coastal dune scrub and there is the possibility of poison oak and ticks in the natural dune areas (we will watch for and point these out so they can beavoided). For more information call Lauren Brown at 805-460-6329 or 805-570-7993. Heavy rain cancels this trip (light rain, bring appropriate clothing).

NOTE: Pets, smoking, or alcohol are not allowed on the refuge, including the parking area, or other properties accessed during the hike (i.e., State Parks and private property). Pets may not be left in cars in the parking areas.

Directions from the north: Take Hwy 101 south from San Luis Obispo. Turn right (west) at the new Willow Road off ramp (Exit 180). Proceed west on Willow Road for about 4.3 miles, to Highway 1. Turn left (south) on Highway 1 and proceed for 2.7 miles, to Oso Flaco Lake Road. Turn right (west) on Oso Flaco Lake Road. Proceed west on Oso Flaco Lake Road for 2.5 miles to Beigle Road. Look for a 6’ tall wire mesh fence and steel gate.

Directions from the south: Take 101 north to Santa Maria and take the Main Street exit toward the town of Guadalupe. Turn right ontoHighway 1 and head north to Oso Flaco Lake Road (about 3 miles north of Guadalupe), turn left onto Oso Flaco Lake Road andproceed 2.5 miles to Beigle Road (on left).

Parking: We will have people posted at the entrance of the USFWS fenced road to direct parking. The gate will be open around 8:30. Please do not park on Oso Flaco Lake Road near the gate as there is not much room and it could be hazardous. There should be plenty of room to park along the USFWS access road. The Oso Flaco Lake State Park lot is another ¾ miles west of Beigle Road, if you need to use a restroom before the hike (there are none along the hike route). Note: Pets, smoking or tobacco products, or alcohol are not allowed on the Refuge, including the parking area, or other properties accessed during the hike (i.e., State Parks and Private Property). Pets may not be left in cars in the parking areas.

Additional Information: The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Coastal Area contains the largest, relatively undisturbed coastal dune tract in California and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. Five major plant communities are represented including pioneer/foredunes; coastal dune scrub; riparian woodland; coastal dune freshwater marshes, ponds, and swales; and active interior dunes. The flora includes many endemic plant species and the dunes habitats support numerous rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals.

The Twenty-Fourth AnnualSpring OutingBotanical ExcursionForay, Retreat, and Escape to the Environment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO BE FREE 24 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brought to you by the Bryophyte Chapter of the California Native Plant Society!

Friday to Monday, 29 March to 1 April 2019Rancho El Chorro in San Luis ObispoCoordinators: Ken Kellman, Ben CarterFounded in 1996, SO BE FREE is a series of West Coast forays started by the Bryolab at UC Berkeley, but open to all botanists. The main focus is on bryophytes, but we also encourage experts on other groups to come along and smell the liverworts. We welcome specialists and generalists, professionals and amateurs, master bryologists and rank beginners. SO BE FREE is held each spring, somewhere in the Western US, associated with spring break at universities. Evening slide shows and informal talks are presented as well as keying sessions with microscopes. In addition to seeing interesting wild areas and learning new plants, important goals for SO BE FREE include keeping West Coast bryologists (and friends) in touch with each other and teaching beginners. To see pictures and information from past outings, visit the SO BE FREE website at: https://bryophyte.cnps.org/index.php/so-be-free

☛ One important function of this year’s SO BE FREE will be to serve as the annual meeting of the Bryophyte Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. See: https://bryophyte.cnps.org/ fordetails, and to join!

The 2019 SO BE FREE will be held in San Luis Obispo County, one of the botanical gems withinCalifornia. Midway along the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo offers strong moisture gradients, a tremendous diversity of geological substrates and abundant open spaces that have been only lightly explored bryologically. Vegetation types range from moisture-loving closed cone coniferous forests near the coast to arid desert scrub in interior regions, with a diversity of chaparral and woodlands in between. The region is known floristically as a zone of transition, with representation of northern species in mesic areas, southern species in the drier coastal regions and even Mojave desert species in the eastern part of the county. Foray destinations will include Los Padres National Forest, many of the open spaces surrounding the city of San Luis Obispo, a private ranch in the interior and some of the best wildflower destinations in the state, all of which promise to be very rich in ephemerals, Bryaceae and Pottiaceae.

Beginners are very welcome to SO BE FREE, and this year we will again have a workshop session for beginners at the start of the event. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning we will have field trips to satisfy all participants from neophyte to nerd! Field trip details are to follow. Access is being sought for private, State, and Federal lands.

Resources

About CNPS-SLO

The mission of the California Native Plant Society is to increase understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants and to conserve them and their natural habitats through education, science, advocacy, horticulture and land stewardship.
The local San Luis Obispo Chapter, CNPS-SLO, was founded in 1967 and is one of 33 chapters statewide.